UNH Manchester students welcome new Pope in Rome

April 03. 2013 8:01PMMANCHESTER - The recent excitement in Rome over the election of a new Pope, Francis, was experienced by 25 UNH Manchester students and community members firsthand.

Leading this group was UNH Manchester Professor Andrew Laurie Stangel, who said that the timing of the tour was fortunate, and took the group by surprise.

"We were fortunate to be in Rome for the 2057th anniversary of the Ides of March," Stangel said, "But to have been there during a Papal Conclave and the election of a new Pope is perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime experience"

Communication arts senior Amanda Turni was on the tour, and recalls as "unforgettable" the moment the Pope Francis was elected.

"The experience in Rome was the time of my life. I met awesome people, saw amazing art, and got to be a part of history," says Turni. I would go back now if I could."

The trip to Rome had been in the works for more than a year, as part of a program of art history study tours that Stangel coordinates. Students earn four credits while spending a week abroad during spring break and/or in July, between the two UNH summer terms.